Is this a good idea?

I'd like to get any opinions from anyone readng this. Here is a picture of walking up from ground level to the 2nd floor living room:

That door in the right of the picture seems to have been previously been the front entrance, which they since knocked the steps out, put new siding up, and we put a new window in. I don't have the funds or time to make that into a front door again, so I'm contemplating what else to do, and have 3 options. Options continued below, here is a closer picture:

I'm thinking I can knock it out (have to really look into this first to make sure its a possibility) which would give me a bigger and more usable living room space (pretty narrow right now and I'm unsure where to put the TV and furniture). I can use it as a guest closet, but I already have a guest closet space downstairs. OR, and perhaps my favorite, I can make it into a small bar?

Its a cool space, with molding in there, I would put up a tin ceiling, snazzy lighting, and the bar top across where the door currently is, maybe extend it to the wall. Don't worry I wont throw the door out, its going in storage. Then where the semi ripped up wall is on the side, I'm going to blast a whole through there and that will be the entrance. I'm just worried I'm so excited about a bar and all the options I can get creative with it that I'm not thinking logically and that its going to be out of place. Someone guide me!

A pictureless update

I have the worst renovation blog out there =[

For those that are dreamers and can just close their eyes and envision things, here is where I am at.

Stressed out and very snappy and miserable at times. I decided to have a 4th of July party at my house, which really lit a fire under my ass and we started getting A LOT done. Except I have 24 hours, and here is what is left on the to do list.

1. Finish the deck. I decided to build a deck on Saturday, rain has hampered things along with work. What started as a simple square deck turned to 45 degree angle planks and a 2 level deck. Pair that with an uneven yard, it was a bit complicated and is just about completed. This was the most dangerous project so far. The shield on the chop saw has been loose, and I used it anyway, and it bit me in the ass. The shield tilted and got caught in the teeth and was ripped off, hitting me in the head and both arms. I thought I had been cut in half.

Like a fool, I used this the next day as well with the shield rigged back on, this time it did it again striking me in the fingers and shearing some metal piece off. Im done with it.

2. 12ft wall in kitchen needs gas line run behind it and then drywalled. Bathroom needs to be drywalled or patched in 3 places, and ceiling in kitchen and front bedroom need to be primed.

3. Paint walls and ceiling on first floor.

4. Re assemble painted fridge and deliver to the house.

5. Purchase grill

6. Spackle 2nd floor giant livingroom with 10ft ceilings and prime.

7. Spackle and prime 3rd floor drywall. Lay down already purchased laminate.

8. Clean.

+1 = 9. (Forgot about this one, but its important ). Fix the plumbing in the downstairs bathroom so people can use the sink, instead of the spicket outside.

I have work for 5 more hours, and then begins the 24 hour deadline to get everything accomplished, except for cleanup.

I have my free coffee coupons to 7-11 ready, but I don't think this will be enough. Im starting to think this is not going to be worth it. But I guess once everyone is drunk they will forget about it, and the NYC fireworks that I am anticipating will be in my face, better damn well be in my face.

flooring ideas.

Im not even near being done with the HVAC, drywall, painting process, but I can't stop thinking of the flooring I want to go with to tie it all together.

For the most part I have it figured out except for the first floor.

4th floor office room (I think this will look good, but I haven't seen it done yet) I plan on painting the floor white. Its a small room, low ceiling, sort of a getaway and overlooking the city, so I want it to be open and airy. I happen to also like to see some woodgrain, so after I paint it white im going to give it a quick sand so the top of the woodgrain shows through. If its not smooth enough I'll throw some clear polyeurethane on top. Hopefully this doesn't make the floor too busy, if it does, I'll simply keep it all white. I was worried about it getting dirty, but there are 3 other floors to walk through before your dirty feet can even touch this floor.

3rd floor is 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the middle. Most likely both bedrooms will be getting new hardwood or laminate, the hallway in between may be granite, depending on what I do with the bathroom remodel.

2nd floor I am going to refinish the old wood floor. Perhaps its more of a subfloor (but not plywood, actual strips of pine), but this floor reminds me of the place I lived in over the summer in Brooklyn. I'll keep this a darker wood color most likely.

1st floor is what is making me think, but with the situation at hand, maybe I can get creative with the flooring. It is ground level, but the back of the house is a bit below grade. With the kitchen also in the back, Im worried about any potential water issues, so this kind of rules out wood or laminate, plus tracking water in from the outside. Seems to be a simple fix with some tile, but I don't want to tile the whole first floor as the front will be a bedroom or 2nd living room, wow! Polished cement slab sounds nice...nice and cold. All these stipulations I've created in my head are making things difficult, so I've come up with a plan to combine all three of them. The entrance that leads to the stairs to the 2nd floor may be polished concrete. Easy clean, water is not a problem, pretty contemporary, I get my polished cement fix. The kitchen and dining room is in the same room, so I'll tile 4 feet off the wall that the cabinets are on. The rest of the eating area, hallway, and front room are going to be laminate (I'm thinking a very very light/white-ish color).

Hopefully its not too much, but since I do all of this myself, if I have to change it down the road to sell, not a problem, plus when I change it I can put the latest style down which should help with the sale. I think all this floor talk calls for me to bust out my architectural skills and show the world what I've come up with.

Blogging is tougher than remodeling

Everything is sort of working with me right now with the renovations, and against me with the blog. Camera is MIA again and all my friends with their fancy SLR's are...MIA. And I have no female accomplice to do the bloggins.

However, I pretty much hit the lottery in terms of stuff for the house. I got a TON, litterally a ton, of granite. Amazing, amazing granite slabs. This will probably make the place look like some ritzy hotel from NYC, well thats because they were intended for a ritzy hotel.

Oh yea, I hit the lottery twice actually. I also scored 3 nice Ikea Udden cabinets that are in great shape from some fine folks in Brooklyn. What makes this more awesome, is that I was planning on picking up the Udden wall cabinets and piecing something together for the bottom. It took many trips to scoop them all up, and those damn tolls, but it was worth it. Actual pics to ensue, but here is a teaser:

The only issue now is deciding between this setup for a quick free-standing kitchen, or utilizing my new granite in my kitchen. Otherwise my bar and bathrooms can use some granite.

'Cause God is on my side...

And all the wine is all for me

And all the wine is all for me

And all the wine is all for me

Thanks.

A long needed update on the way

My camera was lost, and has been found. I have some pictures of the back room progress (kitchen) which was framed out, and is ready for drywall (hopefully today). Also buying a drywall lift today, yes! More tools!

On a funny and almost dreadful note, I stepped on one of these the other day, something I thought only happens in the movies:

That hoe almost messed me up bigtime, but it wacked my shoulder instead of my face, wew. But thats ok, I have medical and dental now!

I assure you, I'll have pictures of progress on the first level, and my table saw I proudly acquired within the next day.

Thinking of the house, and food

Im sitting at work right now thinking of the projects ahead of me (securing furring strips to the brick wall and getting sheetrock up to finish the first floor), but I haven't posted any new blog entrys, because well, I feel blogs suck without pictures, and my camera is missing, again. But basically 80% of the first floor is drywalled and taped.


Im starving at work, sitting in an office is the pits sometimes, and my stomach always feels like an endless pit, or maybe its a tapeworm from that crappy fried wonton last week?


If you know anything about me, I love pizza like most people, but I really enjoy making it as well. Being all about tools, this gadget is a must have! So females, go buy your handyman man one of these, make some pizza and have fun. And, if you DON'T have a handyman, buy me one and we'll make some pizza. I can just imagine a hard day of work, a hard night of partying, making some pizza while drunk, and cutting that pizza with this while making circular saw noises. This thing is so sweet!

Island or dining table

If anyone can vote, I'd appreciate it!

Here is the layout if you are not familiar: Walk in front door, go straight to the back, thats where the kitchen is. Its a 13x15 room (just walls, no cabinets yet). I can either put a island in, and keep it very contemporary and modern, or put a table in and no island. I'm not planning on having a dining room, but there is another room on the first floor that can be used as a dining room down the road (when I no longer need a roommate in there). Concerned with what is most practical and for best resale value.

Going for either a gloss white modern kitchen, maybe some black.

Have an island or table for small kitchen/no dinning room
	Island
	Table
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